Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 79

...What was that? Did I make some kind of mistake...

“Ah, ah! I mean, I rely on him a lot emotionally. Like... he’s like family, or maybe like a hyung?”

None of what I just said was true. Who in their right mind would rely on Yoon Taeo? I’ve never had siblings, but if I had a hyung like Taeo, I’d rather cut ties with my family altogether. Somehow, just breathing carelessly around him feels like asking to get hit.

“...I’m sorry.”

It was an attempt to get out of the crisis, but with Taeo’s unwavering gaze fixed straight on me, I had no choice but to admit my slip-up. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“To think you actually believe that about me.”

Taeo opened his mouth, and from the side of the grill on my plate, a piece of golden-brown pork skin was lifted. Pork skin dipped lightly in fine soybean powder.

Another correction was needed. I must’ve been mistaken in thinking I handled alcohol well. Or maybe these Alpha bastards are just seriously abnormal.

Or maybe it was a pride battle between these beasts. Taeo and Kang Seokho had been drinking nonstop, and after about twenty bottles, I lost count of how many more they had downed.

“This table seems to be having the most fun, huh? Pour me a drink too, sir.”

Choi Hyunjin, who had been chatting head-to-head with the Chief Secretary, suddenly took the empty seat. The atmosphere at the table shifted; I wasn’t the only one who felt uneasy about Hyunjin joining. The previously heated tension seemed to cool slightly.

It was as if everyone deliberately ignored Hyunjin’s words—no one moved. Even as Hyunjin’s face gradually showed growing embarrassment, waiting with his glass extended, the silence held.

“Have a drink.”

In the end, I poured his glass. Did they have no hands or eyes? They could’ve just poured for themselves, but I didn’t like waiting around for them to do it.

“You’re not part of the Secretary’s Office or the Security Team—why are you here?”

Kang Seokho, who had been slurring drunk moments ago, suddenly spoke with a clear voice as if the alcohol had vanished. His voice was chillingly low.

“We see each other often, so I wanted to get closer. The Chief Secretary said it was okay for me to join...”

Was the order reversed? The Chief Secretary must have heard about the company dinner first, and presumably allowed Hyunjin to attend.

“Let’s just drink. Not exactly a wrong idea.”

I found it amusing for a moment. All four of us at this table knew the truth of “that day.” Hyunjin had lied, so he knew best. Kang Seokho and I were co-conspirators who knew every secret. And Taeo...

Our eyes met briefly, and he mouthed “what?” Like a joke. Without any proof, he believed Hyunjin hadn’t sent the rut. Maybe that was just the instinct of a dominant Alpha. Anyway, it was ironic—everyone knew the truth, but no one could show it.

“...But, sir...”

“What is it?”

After an awkward clink of four glasses, Kang Seokho hesitantly spoke.

“Why does it look like the beer glass you’re holding is different from mine, even though they’re the same?”

Yeah, it’s the face. What kind of self-harm question is that, Seokho...

Sorry to say, but I think it’s the difference that comes from the face. Among countless Alpha bastards, Taeo’s appearance stands out. That’s probably why Kang Seokho felt the same alienation I did. Taeo held the same ordinary beer glass as us, but it felt like he was holding a fancy crystal whiskey glass.

“Nonsense.”

And proud bastards usually know their faces are good-looking. Look at him now, snorting as if dealing with insignificant creatures. Yet, if praised, he loses all restraint. Why would such a guy suddenly act humble?

“...In that case, shall we play a game?”

“What does that have to do with anything, Secretary Baek?”

I just said it to break the awkward atmosphere. Oddly, whenever the conversation paused for even a moment, our table felt suffocatingly tense. Maybe it was just my mood, but even the back-and-forth felt awkward. So I suggested playing a game like the other tables, though it was nonsense. A game with Yoon Taeo.

“Exactly! People usually bond over games, right?”

Hyunjin agreed with me and...

“Let’s play a game of ‘Guess the Mood’!”

Kang Taeho was clueless...

“Two.”

The game started with Taeo’s unexpected voice. ...What the hell? How does this bastard even know how to play ‘Guess the Mood’?

❖ ❖ ❖

“Are you doing this just to drink?”

“...Ugh, ugh...!”

I’ve lost count how many times this has happened. Because I keep losing the game, just smelling soju makes me feel nauseous. My face feels like it’s about to burst from heat. I don’t even have the energy to respond to Kang Seokho’s joke. How am I worse at games than Hyunjin? I want to die.

“You’re kind of hopeless at this.”

Kang Seokho grabbed the soju glass from my hand.

“What is this?”

“I’ll be your ‘Black Knight.’”

“What’s that?”

“Don’t you know...? If I drink instead of you, you get one wish granted...”

What would Taeo know? He’s probably drinking soju for the first time today. He just relies on beastly instincts to do well at games.

“You get a wish for just one glass of soju?”

“Come on, it’s called a wish, but it’s just a joke.”

“Give it here.”

Despite saying this, Taeo snatched the soju glass from Kang Seokho’s hand.

“Wait! Wait a minute!”

Feeling a strange foreboding, I tried to take the glass back from Taeo, but despite protests, the alcohol went down his throat.

“A wish, huh...”

“Sir, that wish can’t be anything huge...”

“You probably have less than I do, Secretary Baek. Why worry?”

Yeah, you just look like a flea who’ll be picked clean to the bone. Well, what could a guy who can take anything by force want from me? And yet, why does he say he’ll be my black knight when I never asked for it?

“Well then, take your time thinking about the wish. How about another game?”

“Again?”

“How about ‘Truth or Dare’ this time?”

Maybe it’s the alcohol, but Kang Seokho seemed to be wearing a strange smile. Weird... I have a bad feeling about this.

Suddenly, Kang Seokho, now the game master, spun the bottle. The bottle spun round and round, slowly slowing until it pointed at Taeo. It was surprisingly perfect.

“Then, I’ll ask the question...”

What should I ask? Since I just got picked earlier, I should be the one asking. I was wondering what to ask someone like this when another voice spoke up.

“Sir, since it’s a drinking party, I hope there’s no misunderstanding...”

The way he skirted around it, it sounded like something that could get him slapped.

“What’s taking you so long? Just ask before anyone ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) misunderstands.”

“Do you have someone you like?”

Exactly. At a time like this, Taeo could legally snap Kang Seokho’s neck. But I didn’t even think to protest such a question and instead looked to Taeo. I was curious what answer he’d give. It wasn’t just me; Hyunjin and Kang Seokho’s attention also focused on Taeo.

“I...”

Our eyes briefly met as he started speaking. Why was I so nervous? The burning heat from the alcohol suddenly vanished, and in that instant, my mouth and throat dried up. It felt like waiting for the final round results of an audition.

I’m sure Taeo didn’t mean to, but he built the tension high before continuing.

“No comment. It’s a ridiculous question anyway.”

...What the hell. The tension that had weighed on us instantly disappeared. Maybe Taeo didn’t care much about what he said, and he gulped down the punishment drink.

“Hah... if you were on our team, it’d just be...”

Kang Seokho muttered in a small voice as if waiting for a different answer.

“What kind of terrible assumptions are those?”

Better that Taeo is the boss than a subordinate—too creepy otherwise. Just thinking about it sends chills down my spine.

I was briefly disappointed too, but thinking it over, I felt Taeo’s answer was enough. Sometimes avoiding an answer is the answer. It wasn’t just me thinking that; Hyunjin, sitting across, smiled broadly and turned his body toward Taeo.

“Shall we drink?”

All four glasses clinked with a clear, pure sound at the center of the table. Four glasses, four thoughts. I don’t know what Taeo, Kang Seokho, or Hyunjin were thinking. Actually, I think I know one. At least Hyunjin’s judgment must be close to delusion. His own wishful thinking.

Suddenly, a strange warmth gently wrapped around the hand I had put under the table and then slipped away. Surprised, I looked toward the source of the warmth, but Taeo’s expression was utterly composed. Judging by his face, it seemed like what happened under the table was just my illusion.

Maybe the real answer behind Taeo’s “no comment” was this. The small warmth that clung to the hand he held spread through my whole body in an instant. The tingling that started at my fingertips quickly reached my chest.

But I didn’t realize yet that my thoughts were nothing but a delusion.